1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to seats and more particularly to vehicle seats having multiple configurations.
2. Description of Related Art
Many passenger vehicles, such as, but not limited to, minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), include multiple rows of seating. The rear passenger seating in these vehicles is often complicated because of the variety of uses of the seats. Many vehicles include seating that can be moved into a variety of configurations. Some vehicles allow seating to be stored in the floor area of the vehicle. Other vehicles have seats with seatbacks that fold flat and become armrests or tables/consoles with storage areas, such as cup holders. Some vehicles have seats that can be removed from the vehicle completely or slid along a track.
One configuration includes a set of seats, such as, a left side seat, a right side seat and a middle seat. The seats can have differing widths. The left seat and right seat may be comparatively wider than the middle seat. When the left and right seats are positioned on the vehicle floor without the middle seat, a space is defined therebetween. The space can be used to store items, such as luggage or larger articles. Alternatively, the space can be filled with an accessory of the vehicle, such as a middle seat, table, console, etc.
The middle seat has a smaller width than the space between the left and right seats. This allows the user to easily install the middle seat without interference from the left seat or right seat. However, the use of a seat of that size means that a gap remains between the middle seat and each of the left seat and the right seat. These gaps are undesirable as items can get caught between the seats and their appearance is unappealing. It is also undesirable to size the middle seat to fit tightly between the left seat and the right seat, as such a configuration would create too much difficulty in installation.
A variety of types of child restraint seats are frequently used in rear passenger seats. Many newer child restraint seats include ISOFIX/LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachment systems. These child restraint seats include latches that releasably engage anchors on a vehicle. The use of the ISOFIX/LATCH system allows a child restraint seat to be positioned in a predictable location relative to a seat. When such a child restraint seat is used, the position of the seat in the vehicle is irrelevant to the safety of the child. However, if a child restraint seat is used that is not equipped with an ISOFIX/LATCH system, it is important that the seat be positioned to allow it to be secured with a seatbelt secured to a roof or side of a vehicle. Such a configuration can be complicated, as the seatbelt must be positioned at a particular location relative to the child restraint seat. This can make ingress and egress to the rear area of the vehicle difficult.
The exemplary embodiments described herein identify configurations that improve ingress/egress from the rear passenger area and minimize the spaces between the seats while maintaining the flexibility of known seating arrangements.